Kathmandu, April 22:

Mobile phone services in Kathmandu valley have been suspended once again. The services include the ones being offered by Nepal Telecom (NT), Mero Mobile, alongwith the CDMA phone service with limited mobility being offered by the United Telecom Ltd (UTL).

The mobile services were suspended at about 4.30 local time in Kathmandu valley on Saturday.

Talking to The Himalayan Times, Sugat Ratna Kansakar, managing director of NT said, “We have been told by the government to stop the mobile services this afternoon.” He, however, could not specify the exact duration for which the service has been discontinued.

The suspension of the services immediately followed large-scale protests within the city of Kathmandu on Saturday afternoon. Although, officials of telephone companies refused to be quoted on the subject, clearly the suspension of the services has been triggered by concerns over security.

Sanokaji Banjara of Pepsicola, Koteshwor, who had followed the cavalcade of protestors from Bhakatapur into Kathmandu and got stranded following preventive measures by the security forces within the city, expressed his concerns over his inability to get in touch with his family, as his father’s NT mobile phone suddenly could not be reached.

Similar was the fate of many other protestors who had to take shelter with friends in Kathmandu, following the dispersal of the protestors by security personnel. Laxman Khadka from Bhainsepati had a similar tale to narrate.

Meanwhile, there had also been concerns over some mischievous SMS messages making the rounds in Kathmandu, feeding rumours and stoking ungrounded fears. Suspension of mobile services also means an end to such concerns.

This is the second time within the last two weeks that mobile phone services have been discontinued in Kathmandu valley. The first time they were suspended from April 7-13. The services were resumed following strong protests from Nepal Telecom employees’ unions who had threatened to go on strike if mobile services were not restored immediately.